An alleged con man who sent groups of young people onto the streets of Devon to collect cash in buckets was warned by trading standards and police that his activities might be illegal, a court has heard.

Jamie Monteiro, 27, a former Burger King worker from Newton Abbot, set up a company called Youth Recruit Ltd which claimed to raise funds to help get young people back to work.

The collectors – in groups of two or three – would be sent to towns and cities across the South West. Wearing company branded T-shirts or sometimes clown outfits they would knock on doors or walk the streets collecting cash, Exeter Crown Court was told.

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Monteiro is standing trial accused of five counts of fraud. It is alleged he falsely claimed he was collecting for charity while pocketing at least £37,000 for himself. No money went to charity despite the defendant allegedly claiming links to Great Ormond Street Hospital and the homeless charity Shelter.

The second day of the trial heard from members of the public and police officers who recalled seeing groups of young people in Exeter, Plymouth, Torbay and Truro.

PCSO Gavin Mendetta was on patrol in Exeter in December 2013 when he said he saw three young men in the High Street near the Vodafone shop.

He said they were carrying charity buckets and one was wearing ‘clown-style, predominantly yellow’ clothing.

One of the men said they were selling periodicals for £2, the PSCO said.

It is claimed that Monteiro exploited a loophole in the trading laws, allowing the sale of periodicals in the street without a licence, to collect cash for himself and his workers.

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The prosecution say people donating cash were given the impression they were supporting charity.

The defendant says Youth Recruit never pretended to be a charity. He says the buckets were, in fact, ‘street tills’.

But the PSCO said in March 2015 he once again came across members of the business in Exeter High Street.

Mr Mendetta said one of the group asked him if he could ‘spare any change for homeless children’. When he questioned them about what they were doing he was given a leaflet with details about the company.

Monteiro, who is representing himself, cross examined the witness.

“You didn’t arrest anyone?” he asked.

“No, I don’t have that power,” said the PCSO.

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Simon Tredinnick said a young man with a collection bucket knocked on his door in Newton Abbot and asked for money to buy presents to take to Great Ormond Street Hospital. He gave him £2 but was given no periodical or leaflet.

Under cross examination he admitted he did not check the man’s ID or that the man claimed to be working for a specific charity.

Melanie Wilson, manager at Burger King in Newton Abbot, said Monteiro, who used to work at the restaurant, approached her in 2014 with a request.

“He said he wanted to put buckets out for charity work.”

She gave her permission and the Youth Recruit buckets were chained to the till. She said there were no leaflets and she thought customers were donating to charity.

Monteiro questioned her about whether he actually told her he was collecting for charity.

“Yes, you asked me if you could put them there for charity,” she replied. “As I knew you personally I trusted you.”

Monteiro asked Ms Wilson if they were still friends and the witness confirmed they were.

The trial has heard prosecution claims about groups of young men and women operating on behalf of Youth Recruit Ltd in Falmouth, Truro, Barnstaple, New George Street in Plymouth, and Torbay.

David Walker, senior environmental health officer for Torbay Council, said he sent the defendant a warning letter after complaints about Youth Recruit’s methods.

He met with Monteiro and it was agreed Youth Recruit would only be allowed to use a ‘fixed pitch’ or table so as not to give the impression they were collecting for charity.

Mr Walker said Youth Recruit activities in Torquay, Paignton and Brixham ‘tapered off quite significantly’ after that. The prosecution say the intervention of Torbay Council made it more difficult for Youth Recruit to con members of the public.

Nick Cotton, of Devon Trading Standards, said he sent the defendant a warning letter raising concerns that Youth Recruit ‘gave the impression’ of being a charity; that its operatives wore ‘meaningless ID badges’ and that a drop-in centre at Lymington Road, Torquay, did not exist.

The alleged crimes took place between January 1, 2014 and June 23, 2015.